Introduction

Bio

The anonymity of life in the big city allows us to go largely unnoticed through the course of our everyday affairs. What could be going on in the rooms of the high-rise across the street, that impenetrable curio cabinet full of human life? Canadian photographer Alastair Pincaud tackles this question, taking us on a trip through time. His piece, The Apartment House, allows us a secret look into a legendary party where iconic figures like Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol carouse. Even at the first glance, we want to take part in this glamorous gathering. Then our gaze drifts to the left, in the apartment next door, we recognize a character from The Sorpranos.

Alastair Pincaud is an accomplice in our voyeurism, giving us a look behind the façade of the New York apartment building. With a love of detail and humorous playfulness, he creates cinematic snapshots full of excitement. The circular acrylic lenses inserted in the piece enhance this effect, zooming in on select scenes like magnifying glasses. This gives the photograph a three-dimensional quality.

Miniatures, models, and stage sets have fascinated Pincaud since his early days. Over the span of his career, he often returns to set design and scenery construction. The aesthetic of Spy City is visibly influenced by this. In his work, he examines the sphere between public and private space while stoking the imagination’s voyeuristic desires. Who wouldn’t want to discuss Pop Art with Andy Warhol and his blonde muse before taking an exhilarated turn on the dance floor?

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